The Ferguson Recipes

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 Cake
12 Tasty Substitutions When Cutting Carbs
15 - Minute Beef Stroganoff
2 Ingredient Fruit Angel Food Cake
25 Uses for Coffee Filters
5 Crockpot Chicken Ideas
7 Can Chicken Taco Soup !๐Ÿ•“!
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7-UP (7UP) Biscuits
A Good Oil & Vinegar Dressing With 2 Variations
A Lemon Cake To Die For
About Southern Barbecue
Acorn Squash !๐Ÿ•“!
Adzuki Bean Miso Soup
Al Pastor
Albert's Southwest Chicken Pasta
All-Around-The-World Custard Pancakes
Almond Chicken
Alpine Beef Casserole
Ambrosia
Image Gallery For Al Pastor. Click to View Full Size

Comments
Al pastor is spit-grilled pork marinated in combinations of dried chilies, pineapple, achiote, and spices. The meat originated in Central Mexico in the 1960s when the children of Lebanese immigrantsโ€”many to escape political violenceโ€”used the traditional method of cooking shawarma to create a new cuisine flavored with the spices of local Mexican cuisine.
Learn more about the politics of Al Pastor from The Politics of Cuisine onย Instagram.
Recipe from here.

Ingredients

For the Pork:

2ย wholeย ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed
2ย wholeย pasillaย or guajilloย chiles, seeds and stems removed
1/2ย cupย homemadeย or store-boughtย low-sodium chicken stock
2ย teaspoonsย vegetable oil
1ย teaspoonย dried Mexican oregano
1ย teaspoonย driedย ground cuminย seed
1ย tablespoonย achiote powder or paste
1ย chipotleย chileย packed in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons sauce from can
1/4ย cupย distilledย white vinegar
3ย clovesย garlic
2 1/2ย teaspoonsย kosher salt
2ย teaspoonsย sugar
2ย poundsย boneless blade-end loinย or sirloinย pork roast
8ย ouncesย (1/2 pound)ย sliced bacon

To Finish and Serve:

1ย smallย pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters lengthwise
32ย to 48ย corn tortillas,ย heated and kept warm
1ย mediumย white onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/2ย cupย finelyย minced fresh cilantro leavesย and tender stems
1ย cupย basicย salsa verdeย or your favorite salsa
3ย to 4ย limes, cut into 8 wedges each


Directions

Place chiles in a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook, turning chiles occasionally, until puffed, pliable, lightly browned in spots, and very aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock, then pour contents of pan into a small bowl.

Cover loosely and set aside.

Wipe out saucepan, add oil, and return to medium-high heat until oil is shimmering.

Add cumin, oregano, and achiote and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic but not browned, about 30 seconds.

Add chipotle chiles and sauce and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds longer.

Add vinegar, salt, and sugar and remove from heat.

Scrape contents of saucepan into a blender along with garlic and chiles with their soaking liquid. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides as necessary. Set sauce aside to cool slightly.

Using a very sharp chef's knife or slicing knife, slice pork sirloin as thin as possible. If necessary, place meat in freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up. Split the sides of a heavy duty zipper-lock bag. Place one slice of meat inside bag and pound with the bottom of a heavy 8-inch skillet or a meat pounder until less than 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining meat.

Add marinade to bowl and toss with hands until every piece of meat is evenly coated in marinade.

Line the bottom of a disposable aluminum loaf pan with bacon. Add a layer of thin-sliced marinated meat. Continue layering in bacon and meat until all the meat is used up. (It may pile above the pan a little bit. This is ok.) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 36.

To cook indoors: Preheat the oven to 275ยฐF. Uncover aluminum loaf pan and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and cook until meat is completely tender (It will drip lots of fat), about 4 hours. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

To cook outdoors: Light half a chimney of charcoal and allow to preheat until coals are mostly covered in gray ash. Spread out under one half of coal grate, and place cooking grate on top. Alternatively, set one set of burners on a gas grill to low and leave the remaining burners off. Unwrap aluminum loaf pan and place directly over cooler side of grill, placing a drip pan underneath if desired. Cover grill and cook until loaf registers 180 to 190ยฐF in the center, about 4 hours, adding more coals to grill or adjusting burners as necessary to maintain an air temperature of around 275ยฐF for the duration of cooking. Remove from grill, allow to cool slightly, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

To Serve:ย Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Remove cooked meat from aluminum tray, scraping off any fat or jellied juices from its sides. Use a spoon to collect fat and juices from tray, reserving each separately. Using a sharp chef's knife or slicing knife, slice meat as thinly as possible to create fine shavings of meat and fat. Transfer to a bowl.

If fat from meat is solid, heat gently in the microwave or in the oven until melted. Transfer pineapple pieces to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush with fat. Transfer to oven and roast until completely tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

About 10 minutes before pineapple is done roasting, transfer meat and 1 tablespoon of fat to a large cast iron or non-stick skillet. Heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until meat crisps and deeply browns in spots. Add any reserved juices and toss to combine, allowing it to cook until reduced to a moist glaze. Transfer meat to a warmed serving bowl.

Chop roasted pineapple into large chunks. Serve meat and pineapple immediately with warmed tortillas, onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges. Meat will be very moist and should be packed into double-stacked tortillas for serving.


๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿณ The Cook:  Dave Ferguson ๐Ÿ”‘ Keywords: POC, pork, Mexican, Lebanese
๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ Categories: ๐ŸŒฎ Mexican Foods, ๐Ÿ– Pork
๐Ÿ“š Cookbooks: The Politics of Cuisine, The TFR Cookbook
Recipe #1270 was added on October 04, 2022 and last updated on March 29, 2025.
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